Road Trip - Eugene > Coupeville, WA Posted 04-22-13

Blogger is acting weird tonight - let me know if the pictures don't open.  Del

The four day class with Joan Schulze started today, there are seven students so we have lots of individual space and help.  The class is "Fanning Creativity", which I had thought was an expression like "fanning the fire", but it is more literal and the subject is indeed fans - of all kinds.  We are learning many different techniques which can be used to create fans, but also to create a lot of other things.  There are no rules - only creative thinking.  As usual I have flunked "GLUE", but at least this time I didn't get it all over myself.  I don't know why it is such a struggle - I failed GLUE in kindergarten and have never improved.

Joan's website:  http://www.joan-of-arts.com/  

School website:  http://www.pacificnorthwestartschool.org/all/fiber-arts-workshops/schulze-joan-fanning-creativity-apr-22-25-2013

Tonight I am posting a bunch of photos taken on the trip here - trees, flowers, landscape. 


Several years ago I drove up here about this time of year and felt I was following Spring.  Starting in Pacific Grove where everything was blooming, I moved through trees with lots of leaves and arrived in Portland where many trees were just leafing out.  A little later this year and the drought has depressed the blooming and leafing out, but fascinating to see the differences the further north I came.  When I took this picture I thought especially of Gerrie Congdon  who loves the bright acid greens.  I'll bet she LOVES this time of year.
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Even with the gloomy sky the wild mustard still glows.
 

Whatever state one lives in during their primary education they learn the local history.  This was part of my history growing up.  I didn't realize until an advanced age how deficient I am in local history anywhere else in the country.  This sign is one of four different "history lessons" at a viewpoint on I-205 which splits from I-5 and curves northeast around the downtown and over the Columbia River before rejoining I-5 above Vancouver, WA.
 

The falls and the locks are below and Oregon City is on the opposite bank. 
 

Here is my favorite Douglas Fir tree which is rooted on the hillside below and towers several hundred feet in the air.  Dogwood grows below it down to the river.
 

Pacific Dogwood
 

Lichen and moss are abundant in the Pacific Northwest.
 

Unfurling leaves - sycamore?  maple?  As my brain goes old and sluggish I have forgotten things I once knew so well - like the names of trees, flowers, birds, ... and my friends!
 

This crow was determined to sit on his branch and let me get closer and closer.  Just after I snapped the picture he hopped down into the foliage. 
 

I noticed how colorful the woods and waysides are with new leaves in many shades of red, rust, orange, yellow, and acid green. 
 

A closer view of the tree above.
 

And an even closer view!  I was parked when I took these pictures.
 

This group of several trees was quite beautiful.  They were across I-5, hence the speeding cars.
 

Seattle skyline and the arena (Kingdome?)  I almost never take pictures of cities.  Hard to negotiate speeding traffic and take good pictures.  These trees moved in the way at the last minute.
 

North of Seattle I took the ferry from Mukilteo to Whidby Island - a 20 minute "sail".  There are two ferries that go back and forth, passing in the middle of the route.
 

Lots of these blossoming trees in Coupeville.  The houses behind are new - the one on the left seems to be a primary residence and the one on the right is perhaps a rental unit. 

I believe this is a cherry tree.  But, again, my memory is poor.